Jane smiley, a former academic, is pitch perfect in this subtle yet scathing account of academic life in a small midwestern town. Deep in the wheatfields of the american midwest, moo university is in a state of disarray. The pulitzer prizewinning author of a thousand acres returns with a hilarious, hearttouching bestseller about midwestern college life. The pulitzer winner is able to vary her settings from 14thcentury greenland to a modernday college campus as well as her tone, never missing a beat.
Deep in the wheatfields of the american midwest, moo university is in a state of disarray in this witty and biting comedy of manners, jane smiley turns her wryly perceptive eye towards a community where men and women, the innocent and the cynical, thinkers and careerists, live and work together in complete disharmony. Reissue of this brilliantly funny satire set in a contemporary american university. Oct 23, 2015 moo by jane smiley in djvu, doc, fb2 download e book. In this witty and biting comedy of manners, jane smiley turns her wryly perceptive eye towards a community, where men and women, the innocent and the cynical, thinkers and. An intimate, toneddown, betweenblockbusters, singlenighter of a book would have fit just perfectly in the pulitzer prize winners canon right about now. As a microcosm of todays western world, smiley gives readers a huge midwestern agricultural college nicknamed moo u. Its setting is a large university, known familiarly as moo u because of its large agricultural college, in the american. Listen, jane smiley is a fucking straightup genius, and moo is a hilarious, intricate and brilliant sendup of academia. Jane smiley is the pulitzer prizewinning author of a thousand acres. As a faculty member at iowa state university, jane smiley knows this. She is also the author of five works of nonfiction and. This, her 12th, tells the story of a new england man overtaken by greed. Jane smiley on some luck, the first in a trilogy the new.
Jane smiley has 93 books on goodreads with 291017 ratings. A new york times best seller, it is a hilarious tour through the inner sanctums of a midwestern university. Smileys new novel, moo, announces itself as not only. Jane smiley on some luck, the first in a trilogy the. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Budget cuts have been imposed by the states yahoo governor. Amid cow pastures and waving fields of grain, moos campus churns with devious. The novel is a satire that uses a sprawling narrative style, following the lives of dozens of characters over the course of the 19891990 academic year.
Jane smiley has also worn some awards as a result of her writing and the book a thousand acres, 1991 that later on in the year 1997 was filmed won the pulitzer prize and it is so far known as the bestselling novel for jane smiley. When i was a child in 1960 i was 10 and 11 that year there were. She is currently a professor of english at iowa state university. Jane smiley is one of those authors like margaret atwood and ann patchett who is not content to sit back and write the same novel over and over again. Well, its more or less the kind of book i did read.
In her masterfully plotted novel, moo, pulitzerprize winner jane smiley offers us both a sharply funny comedy and a darkly poignant slice of life. A new york times bestseller, it is a hilarious tour through the inner sanctums of a midwestern university. Between reading moo and delillos white noise, i feel like i just went back to college. Books in this darkly satirical sendup of academia and the midwest, we are introduced to moo university, a distinguished institution devoted to the study of. Well, perhaps moo is jane smileys version of getting down to the basics. Jane smiley s horse heaven was one of the best books i ever read so, when moo was chosen by our book club, i was looking forward to another great book. More jane smiley is a pulitzer prizewinning american novelist. She effortlessly weaves together dozens of character viewpoints, all while keeping a sort of empathetic humor at a slow boil throughout all of it. The hardcover edition spent eleven weeks on the new york times bestseller list. As a former graduate student who had more than his fill of graduate school, this book was both wonderful and horrifying to read.
Jane smiley, the pulitzer prizewinning author of a thousand acres, instantly captured the admiration and laughter of readers everywhere when moo was published. Jane smiley s most popular book is a thousand acres. When i was a child in 1960 i was 10 and 11 that year there were plenty of horse book series. Her first critically acclaimed novel, the greenlanders 1988, was preceded by three other novels and a highly regarded short story collection, the age of grief 1987. In this wonderfully written and masterfully plotted novel, jane smiley, the prizewinning author of a thousand acres, offers a wickedly funny, darkly poignant comedy. Moo was boring, dull and had no characters that i cared one wit about except for maybe earl butz the pig. Oct 07, 2014 jane smileys newest novel, some luck, is the first in a trilogy chronicling a midwestern farm family for 100 years, beginning in 1920. Moo by jane smiley and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.
Louis missouri where she went to grade school and high school the john burroughs school. Moo by jane smiley in djvu, doc, fb2 download ebook. Smiley populates this book with a university microcosm. Jane smileys horse heaven was one of the best books i ever read so, when moo was chosen by our book club, i was looking forward to another great book. One of the most interesting aspects of the novel moo by jane smiley is the manner in which it uses the. Jane smileys power as a writer lies in her ability to evoke her chosen milieu, no matter how farflung. A finalist for the national book critics circle award for fiction. Jane smiley born september 26, 1949 is an american novelist.
Summary a big, blackly comic, wickedlyontarget send up of our societyall of itfrom the pulitzer prizewinning author of a thousand acres. Moo by jane smiley 1997, hardcover for sale online ebay. Moo is jane smileys terrific sendup of education, bureaucracy, racism, politics, love and just about everything else in the 1980s. At first, its a little confusing, but it doesnt take long until you are into the swing of it and know these people.
The novel is a comedy that uses a sprawling narrative style, encompassing the lives of dozens of characters. Amid cow pastures and waving fields of grain, moos campus churns with devious plots, mischievous intrigue, lusty liaisons, and academic oneupmanship, chairman. The hallowed halls of moo university, a midwestern agricultural institution a. Brilliantly funny satire set in a contemporary american university. Its setting is a large university, known familiarly as moo u because of its large agricultural college, in the american midwest. April 7, 1995 a comic novel proves an agreeable change of pace for the ordinarily seriousminded smiley a thousand acres, 1991, etc.
Moo by jane smiley 2009, paperback for sale online ebay. Moo by jane smiley reading guidebook club discussion. Jane smiley is the author of numerous novels, including a thousand acres, which was awarded the pulitzer prize, and most recently, golden age, the concluding volume of the last hundred years trilogy. Order of jane smiley books jane smiley, residing in california with her three children, sixteen and counting horses and three dogs. What are some important events in the novel moo by jane smiley. This site is maintained by the authors publisher alfred a. A new york times bestseller, it is a hilarious tour through the inner sanctums of a midwestern university everyone at the large agricultural college dubbed moo u. The setting is a large midwestern agricultural college known as moo u.
Moo 9780449910238 by smiley, jane and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. The hallowed halls of moo university, a midwestern agricultural institution aka cow college, are rife with devious plots, mischievous intrigue, lusty liaisons. At an unnamed midwestern state university familiarly known as moo u. She won the pulitzer prize for fiction in 1992 for her novel a thousand acres 1991. Moo by jane smiley book club books, book worth reading. A conversation with jane smileyfrom publishers weeklys childrens bookshelf, 89by joy bean you obviously love horses. She is also the author of five works of nonfiction and a series of books for young adults. A comic novel proves an agreeable change of pace for the ordinarily seriousminded smiley a thousand acres, 1991, etc. In this darkly satirical sendup of academia and the midwest, we are introduced to moo university, a distinguished institution devoted to the study of agriculture.
It is set in the american midwest on the fictional campus of moo university during the 19891990 academic year. Instead of tackling the inherent problems in our entire cultural ethos, shes only chosen a modest slice of it. Jane smiley, the pulitzer prizewinning author of a thousand acres, instantly captured the admiration and laughter of readers everywhere when moo was originally published. Jane smiley books list of books by author jane smiley. Moo is jane smiley s terrific sendup of education, bureaucracy, racism, politics, love and just about everything else in the 1980s. May 28, 2003 jane smiley s latest novel, good faith tells the tale of those whose tastes ran more to wall street than wall of voodoo. As a faculty member at iowa state university, jane smiley knows this scene well. Moo book by jane smiley half price books marketplace. The book ten days in the hills written in 2007 that is a reworking of giovanni boccaccios decameron was set in. She is also the author of five works of nonfiction and a series more about jane smiley get news about literary fiction books, authors, and more. Amid cow pastures and waving fields of grain, moos campus churns with devious plots, mischievous intrigue, lusty liaisons, and academic oneupmanship, chairman x of the horticulture department harbors a secret fantasy to kill.